A major German inventor of the modern era / Dr. Rudolf Hell is 100 years old today

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www.presseportal.de/story.htx?nr=310375&action=bigpic&att=12292 Heidelberg, Germany 19. prosince (ots/PROTEXT) - The majorGerman inventor Dr. Rudolf Hell is celebrating his 100th birthdaytoday. To commemorate this great event, the City of Kiel andHeidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) are honoring Dr. Hellat a ceremony in Kiel City Hall. Dr. Rudolf Hell is one of the greatest inventors of the modernera. Born in Bavaria, Dr. Hell has worked in both Berlin and Kielas a scientist, engineer and entrepreneur. His technicalachievements and inventions have played a major role in shapingthe face of today's media world. He is the inventor of faxtechnology and a pioneer in the field of telecommunications. Heput in place the key pillars needed for mechanizing,rationalizing and enhancing the quality of modern mediatechnology. Dr. Hell was made a freeman of the City of Kiel in 1981. Hehas received numerous awards such as the Knight Commander's Crossof the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, theGutenberg Prize awarded by the City of Mainz and the Werner vonSiemens Ring. In May 2001, the City of Kiel named a street in hishonor - the former Siemenswall leading to the Heidelberg plantnow being known as Dr.-Hell-Strasse. Dr. Rudolf Hell founded his own company in the Babelsbergdistrict of Berlin in 1929. In 1981 Dr.-Ing. Rudolf Hell GmbH wastaken over by Siemens and in 1990 was merged into Linotype AG tobecome Linotype-Hell AG. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG took overLinotype-Hell AG in Kiel in 1996 in order to extend its coreskills in the prepress sector. The Kiel plant therefore has a keyrole to play in Heidelberg's repositioning as a solutionsprovider in the print and media industry. Today, a 1500-strongworkforce in Kiel produces scanners, imaging systems and softwarefor supporting the print process. The development and productionof the NexPress 2100, a digital color press launched onto themarket in September 2001, has further reinforced the plant'soperations. Photos are available on the Internet atwww.journalist.heidelberg.com.

ots Originaltext: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG Im Internetrecherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de Further information:Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG Corporate CommunicationsChristiane Creutzberg Tel.: 06221 92 50 48 Fax: 06221 92 50 58E-mail: christiane.creutzberg@de.heidelberg.com

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